Cessna 172 accident near Pineville, Louisiana, November 9, 2010
On November 9, 2010 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N9747L, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Pineville, Louisiana (Pineville Municipal Airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot/mechanic’s improper inspection of the airplane following the engine installation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 9, 2010 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pineville, Louisiana · Pineville Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 P · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N9747L · no longer on the register · serial 17276606
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following the installation of an overhauled engine and the completion of an annual inspection, the pilot/mechanic that had performed the work elected to fly the airplane. During takeoff the engine indications were normal and the airplane climbed to about 500 feet above ground level when the engine experienced a sudden power loss and the rpms decreased. The pilot then maneuvered the airplane in a 180-degree turn back toward the airport. He overshot the runway and the airplane sustained substantial damage during an off-airport forced landing. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors who responded to the scene discovered that the throttle control linkage was not connected to the carburetor throttle plate arm; the associated bolt, castellated nut, and cotter pin were missing. The pilot/mechanic stated that he had connected the throttle control linkage but could not remember if he had installed the cotter pin.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Return to service › Inadequate inspection
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Post maintenance inspection › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,200 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 7,100 as pilot in command; 4,150 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 1, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,947 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 8, 2010; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Civil Air Patrol INC
The flight
- Departed from: 2L0 Pineville LA at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 2L0 Pineville LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,700 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KESF, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.